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PGA Bracket - Part 1
By Dan Daly

The Weekly Waggle is coming to you live from the labor and delivery wing this week where my wife and I welcomed our second little girl over the weekend.

A big shout out to my wife; while she didn’t have the unenviable task of taking on “The Snake Pit” I was still very proud of her and of course my little one.

You can go ahead and chalk up a JD “leave of absence” from the PGA Tour in 3, 2, 1…

In honor of March Madness, or since I write a golf article, the WGC Match Play tournament next month, I present you with the first ever…PGA March Madness/Match Play Bracket.

The selection committee was made up of…me.

The winners and losers of each match-up were voted on by a highly select group of golf aficionado’s.

The field was of course seeded 1-16 in each bracket with the brackets consisting of the Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championship brackets. (Come on, it’s a golf article, plus I am extremely tired and that seems like the easiest thing to go with!)

With the Masters Bracket winner going against the PGA Championship winner and the US Open winner going against the British Open winner in the final four.

This week we will reveal the First Round Winners below.

Masters Bracket

(1) Paulina Gretzky’s Instagram account vs (16) Ian Poulter’s Twitter account
In what is the single biggest upset of round one, the 16 seed takes out the 1 seed here. Obviously Paulina’s Instagram account going from bikini pics to baby pics really didn’t sit well with the voters.

(2) Patrick Reed’s Necklace vs (15) Stevie Williams’ Chest Hair In Masters Jumpsuit
Sporting the single most talked about piece of jewelry in PGA tour history clearly counts for something. On a side note, this will most likely be the highest ranking Patrick Reed will ever receive.

(3) Greg Norman Masters Meltdown vs (14) Scott Hoch Masters Choke
This one wasn’t even close. Look at the bright side Greg, at least you finally won something Master related.

(4) John Daly’s Ex-Wives vs (113) Tiger's Mistresses (See what I did there for both seeding’s? Clever, I know)
In what was by far the closest vote in the first round, Tiger and his many infidelities just edged JD and his multiple Ex’s. At least JD was able to turn his misfortunes into a Country Music hit.

(5) “Hello Friends” vs (12) Sir Nick Faldo
Faldo may have been awarded some sort of Knighthood but it looks like Jim Nantz is still the king of the booth.

(6) Amen Corner vs (11) The Bear Trap
Please.

(7) Tiger Wood’s Chipping Yips vs (10) Tom Watson’s Putting Yips
I can’t say I’m surprised here, the dude literally putted away anywhere from 5-10 majors.

(8) Steve Stricker’s Inner 'Beast' vs (9) Rory McIlroy ‘Living In The Hall Of Fame’
The Savage Steve Stricker “cruises” to an easy victory here. And rightfully so, they can’t pull that Omega commercial off the air soon enough for me.

vs.

PGA Championship Bracket

(1) Amanda Dufner’s yoga pants vs (16) Billy Horschel’s Pants
Yoga pants…a bikini…does it really matter as long as her ass is somehow involved?

(2) Jason Dufner’s Snuff vs (15) Angel Cabrera Burning Heaters
Some may question the low Cabrera seeding here but the fact that he quit didn’t help his cause here. Dufner won in a landslide.

(3) John Daly The Musician vs (14) Luke Donald The Artist
JD’s music is on Sirius Radio (The Highway, Channel 56). What do you have to show for your “art” Luke?

(4) Tiger/Sergio Feud vs (13) McIlroy/McDowell Fallout
This one was not even close. Rory and Graeme need to step up their cat fighting skills apparently.

(5) Tin Cup vs (12) The Ryder Cup
A 62 in a major, a 12 on the last hole of the same major against what has become a bi-yearly route? Can’t say I’m surprised here.

(6) Elin With A 9-iron vs (11) Stevie William’s With A Camera
I can’t speak for all the voter’s here but I know I for one sure as hell wasn’t going to vote against her if she still has the 9-iron nearby.

(7) Augusta National Chairman vs (10) PGA of America President
One guy took on the world and said EFF YOU we run our tournament the way we want…the other picked Davis Love III again to Captain the Ryder Cup.

(8) Victor Dubuisson’s Facial Hair vs (9) Rickie Fowler’s Facial Hair
One looks like a creepy porn star, and I have to say I am a little surprised the creepy porn star lost here.


US Open Bracket

(1) Jim Furyk’s Sunday meltdowns vs (16) Lee Westwood’s Twitter Meltdown
Westwood went on a one night bender, Furyk has stretched his accomplishment out for several straight years now. This one wasn’t really close.

(2) Adam Scott’s Dating Scorecard vs (15) Bubba Watson’s Wife Finger Tattoo
The biggest landslide in the first round. In fact it was 100% to 0%. I knew I picked a smart group of people the vote.

(3) David Duval’s Sunglasses vs (14) Zach Johnson’s Sunglasses
This one was really simple, one guy made Oakley’s look cool and shot a 59 wearing them in the rain, the other guy couldn’t be cool if he was Adam Scott for a day.

(4) Dustin Johnson’s “leave of absence” vs (13) Anthony Kim’s Disappearance
Let’s just say AK was “blown” away here.

(5) Phil Mickelson’s US Open Meltdown vs. (12) Arnold Palmer’s US Open Meltdown
Hospitality tent, tree, bunker, rough, chip, putt for a smooth double bogey when par wins the US Open and bogey at least gets him a playoff. “I just can't believe that I did that. I am such an idiot.”

(6) Sergio Garcia 2002 U.S Open vs (11) Kevin Na 2012 Players Championship
It appeared as though Sergio managed to piss off the entire state of New York. While not hard to, still impressive none the less.

(7) Brandel Chamblee’s Hair vs (10) Ian Poulter’s Hair
It has its own twitter account, that’s when you know you have something special.

(8) Guan Tianlang’s Pace Of Play vs (9) Ben Crane’s Pace Of Play
We are still waiting for the results of this match-up actually so I just deferred to the higher seed.

vs.

British Open Bracket

(1) Miguel Angel Jimenez’s Cigar vs (16) Joey D Golf Exercise Program
I don’t who the one person that voted for Joey D is…but you sir are fired!

(2) Rory McIlroy's Claret Jug Filled With Jäger vs (15) Phil Mickelson’s Krispy Kreme Drive-Thru
Do I really need to explain this one?

(3) Jean Van De Velde British Open Meltdown vs (14) Adam Scott British Open Meltdown
The Claret Jug engraver was literally engraving his name in the trophy when Van De Velde teed off on 18. You will not see a bigger meltdown in professional sports in your lifetime.

(4) “Ben Hogan has officially rolled over in his grave” vs (13) “Better Than Most”
Take a bow Johnny Miller…that was by far your finest moment in broadcasting.

(5) A John Daly Cocktail vs (12) Graeme McDowell’s GolfBeer Brewing Company
Maybe if the voting was held in Ireland then McDowell may have had a chance, but this is America.

(6) Boo Weekly Math vs (11) FedEx Cup Scoring System
"I don't know nothing about the FedEx Cup." Well Boo, they are still tweaking it every year so apparently they don’t either.

(7) Rickie Fowler’s Flat Billed Hat vs (10) Hunter Mahan’s Flat Billed Hat
At least Fowler has turned his look into a brand and made millions on it. Mahan just looks like a tool.

(8) Fuzzy's Fried Chicken vs (9) Sergio’s Fried Chicken
Fuzzy threw in a side of collard greens to make himself sound extra stupid.

We will return next week with Part 2 as we count down from 32 all the way to the Final Four.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Preview: Cavaliers (43-25) at Heat (29-36)

Date: March 16, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

When LeBron James bolted Miami to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he expressed a desire to help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in the NBA.

Irving's recent play proves that just may be the case.

He'd prefer not to have to carry the load by himself Monday night in Miami, where James is hoping an awkward fall won't keep him from making his second return to South Beach to face the Heat.

James took Miami to the NBA Finals in each of his four seasons with the Heat, winning two championships before deciding in the offseason to again play for his hometown team.

In the essay explaining his decision, James mentioned an urge to assist Irving in taking his game to the next level. That's exactly what Irving has done lately, averaging 37.3 points on the first three stops of Cleveland's four-game trip while shooting 63.3 percent from the field and hitting 13 of 15 from 3-point range.

Irving followed up his 57-point barrage in San Antonio on Thursday by hitting 12 of 15 from the floor - 5 of 6 from 3-point range - and scoring 33 points as Cleveland (43-25) beat Orlando 123-108 on Sunday. He's shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range and 47.4 percent overall on the season, marks that would be the highest of his career.

'Someone did ask me, `What do you do for an encore for (San Antonio)?' I didn't have a good answer,' coach David Blatt said. 'But 12 for 15 from the field, 33 points in 34 minutes, that's a pretty good encore.'

James scored 31 points against the Spurs and had 21 and 13 assists against Orlando as Kevin Love rested, but he tweaked his right knee in the second half against the Magic and expects to receive treatment Monday. He's hoping it won't keep him from facing his former team.

'I couldn't get my foot from underneath me and I was able to play through it obviously and see how I feel (Monday) and go from there,' he said. 'I haven't had one of those falls in (forever), in a pretty long time. ... I was happy to be able to stay on the floor with my teammates.'

James had 30 points in his first return to Miami on Christmas Day, but the Heat got 31 from Dwyane Wade in a 101-91 win.

James got the best of his former team Feb. 11 in Cleveland, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 113-93 victory - one of the Cavs' 21 wins in 24 games since Christmas when James, Irving and Love have all been in the lineup.

Wade sat out that contest, but he enters this one averaging 28.0 points over his last five after scoring 25 in Friday's 102-92 loss at Toronto.

"Wherever LeBron goes, attention follows," Wade said. "The excitement of beating him and beating his teams is always going to be there. They're a totally different team the last time we played them (in Miami). We're a team fighting for the playoffs."

The Heat (29-36), who trail Charlotte by one-half game for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, committed 20 turnovers against the Raptors.

'At least 10 of them were unforced,' coach Erik Spoelstra lamented. 'We weren't really able to keep that collective mental toughness through those mistakes offensively. That led to some defensive breakdowns and it went from there.'

Hassan Whiteside, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the last meeting with the Cavs, returned from a one-game suspension and finished with 12 rebounds against the Raptors after elbowing Boston's Kelly Olynyk on Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Struggling Kings ice cold against the spread
Stephen Campbell

The Sacramento Kings have been struggling mightily recently and are hurting the pockets of their backers as a result.

The Kings are 2-8 straight-up and against the spread in their last 10 games. They'll seek to buck that trend Monday when the Atlanta Hawks come to town.

At the time of writing, a line for the game had not yet been released.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Raptors aim for consecutive wins'

Toronto Raptors finally putting together a solid effort at both ends of the court defeated Heat last time out snapping a four game losing steak while winning for just the second time in eleven attempts. NBA handicappers looking at Toronto's Sunday matchup against visiting Portland will certainly have doubts as to whether Raptors win streak extends to two games. Blazers currently ridding a 7-1 (6-2 ATS) stretch have enjoyed success vs the Atlantic Division as they're 7-1 (5-3 ATS) this season, 16-2 (12-6 ATS) the past two seasons. This being a game against Toronto is yet another nod towards Portland, as Blazers have compiled a 10-1 record against Raptors the past 11 meetings posting a profitable 9-2 mark at the betting window. Adding more doubt Toronto pulls this one off. Raptors have not responded facing a team with a .600 or better winning record going 9-14 on the year with a cash draining 7-15-1 ATS record against the betting line and just 3-7 SU/ATS revenging a loss this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College Basketball Future Odds

Odds to Win 2014-15 NCAA Men's Tournament (4/6/15)

School - Odds

Kentucky 1/1

Duke 13/2

Wisconsin 13/2

Villanova 8/1

Arizona 12/1

Virginia 17/1

Gonzaga 22/1

North Carolina 25/1

Iowa State 35/1

Baylor 40/1

Kansas 40/1

Notre Dame 50/1

Utah 55/1

Maryland 60/1

Michigan State 60/1

Oklahoma 60/1

SMU 60/1

Louisville 80/1

Wichita State 80/1

Northern Iowa 90/1

West Virginia 90/1

Butler 100/1

Ohio State 100/1

Texas 100/1

Field (Any Other Team) 100/1

Georgetown 175/1

LSU 175/1

Xavier 175/1

Arkansas 200/1

VCU 200/1

Indiana 250/1

Iowa 250/1

NC State 250/1

Ole Miss 250/1

Providence 250/1

St Johns 250/1

Cincinnati 300/1

Georgia 300/1

Oklahoma State 300/1

Oregon 300/1

San Diego State 300/1

UCLA 300/1

BYU 500/1

Boise State 500/1

Davidson 500/1

Dayton 500/1

Purdue 500/1

Stephen F Austin 500/1

Eastern Washington 1000/1

Valparaiso 1000/1

How To Bet College Basketball Futures
The “Odds to Win” wager in pro baseball is also commonly referred to as a future wager. Bettors must correctly select a team to win an event that takes place a later time. The money wagered will be tied up until there is an outcome and bettors will receive fixed odds when they place the wager. The future odds are normally updated on a weekly basis and wagers can be placed throughout the season.

To figure out your Win Amount, take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered. Ex. Kentucky Wildcats (5/1) to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The Wildcats are listed as a 5/1 betting choice to win the NCAA Men's Championship. If you wager $100 on Kentucky to win the NCAA and it captures the championship, then you would win $500 (5 ÷ 1 x 100). You would collect $600, which includes your win and stake ($100).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DINERO TALKS
Antony Dinero

Beefs with the NCAA Tournament selection committee

Selection Sunday feels like Festivus this year. Let’s get on with the airing of grievances.

Where is Colorado State? There have been a number of people who thought they were being ranked too high in the VegasInsider power poll, but I didn’t realize the selection committee was included in that group of naysayers.

Last year’s snubbing of SMU was pretty terrible. This is worse.

Wyoming and UAB were this year’s bid thieves, winning their conference tournaments to make the field of 65. Teams were left out because of them. Colorado State shouldn’t have been one of them. The Rams were 27-6. People may point to their non-conference schedule as a reason why, but it’s not like Larry Eustachy’s team ducked anybody. Georgia State is in the field of 65. Colorado had the talent to be a Top 25 team this year, struggling when big man Josh Scott went down. UCSB was the Big West’s preseason favorite. The same goes for UTEP in Conference USA. Those dancing fools at Mercer had a good season in the SoCon.

The Rams beat all of them.

Within their own conference, they went 14-6. The Mountain West was underrated this season. Colorado State split with San Diego State and Boise State. The Cowboys beat them twice, and ultimately, that’s probably the difference between making the field of 68 and winding up in the NIT, but that’s unfair. Everyone knows they’re better than Texas. This is certainly a case of the little guy getting picked on.

J.J. Avila, Colorado State’s top player and the heart and soul of this year’s team, turned his ankle in Thursday night’s quarterfinal against Fresno State and was unavailable for Friday’s game against San Diego State. The Rams seemed like a lock, so the First Team All-Mountain West member sat out. He had scored 53 points in their two meetings with the Aztecs this season, so it might have made a difference had he played in the 56-43 loss.

Was it the final game? The 43 points that Colorado State scored against the Aztecs were a season-low. Avila didn’t play. The selection committee really messed this up.

It’s a travesty that the Rams aren’t in. it’s an injustice. The selection committee was terribly short-sighted.

SMU went on to a second-place finish in the NIT, losing to Minnesota. That doesn’t change the fact that Larry Brown’s team shouldn’t be in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament this year. Similarly, Colorado State is likely going to dominate the National Invitation Tournament and have people scoff at it. So lame.

Among other things that we can hate about the bracket is the other slight to the Mountain West. How can you send Boise State into Dayton to play the Flyers in a First Four game. If you’re going to include Dayton in the field – and they belonged, more so than Texas or UCLA but less so than Colorado State – don’t allow them to host a game against a team that has worked all season to reach the final 68.

May I suggest that this committee was terrible? How can you include Dayton as the final team in while knowing there’s a homecourt advantage against the team you placed 45th—BYU. How is Ole Miss in the field ahead of Colorado State. How was Texas 41st?

Belmont is a 15 seed? That’s terrible.

I’ve got a lot of problems with you people.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bracket Analysis
By Brian Edwards

Kentucky is the No. 1 overall seed and even-money favorite in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Westgate SuperBook has Wisconsin and Duke with the next-shortest odds at 6/1. The Badgers and Blue Devils are followed by Villanova (8/1), Arizona (15/1), Virginia (15/1), Gonzaga (18/1) and North Carolina (25/1).

UK enters the Tournament with a 34-0 record after winning the SEC Tournament with Sunday's lopsided win over Arkansas. The Wildcats are trying to become the first team to go undefeated since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers coached by Bobby Knight.

John Calipari's team will face the winner of Manhattan-Hampton in Louisville. After presumably advancing to the Round of 32, the Wildcats will face the winner of Cincinnati-Purdue. The most likely Sweet 16 opponents in Cleveland would pit UK against West Va. or Maryland.

The bottom of the Midwest Region has teams like Kansas, Notre Dame, Butler and Wichita St. as potential Elite Eight foes for the 'Cats. I would think the Irish have the best shot at preventing Kentucky from returning to the Final Four. I say that because Mike Brey's team has a great point guard and multiple players that can get hot from 3-point land.

Unlike many other pundits, I don't think of Kentucky as invincible whatsoever. With that said, for any teams outside of Virginia, Wisconsin, Villanova, Duke and Arizona to knock off UK, it will have to produce a special performance.

But that's what March is all about.

KU and Wichita St. might meet in the Round of 32. This would be an intriguing matchup because the Shockers go to great lengths to talk about how the Jayhawks refuse to play them in the regular season. The Shockers face Indiana in the opening round.

The other No. 1 seeds went to Villanova, Duke and Wisconsin. Gonzaga, Virginia, Arizona and Kansas are the No. 2 seeds.

Villanova is the top seed in the East Region and looks to be the No. 1 seed most vulnerable of going out in the first weekend. The Wildcats will have to play the winner of LSU-North Carolina St., both of whom are capable of making deep runs.

Virginia is the East's No. 2 seed and will meet Belmont in Charlotte. The winner of the Cavs and Bruins gets Michigan St. or Georgia. If the Spartans and UVA advance, they'll square off in the second round in a rematch of a hotly-contested Sweet 16 game won by the Spartans at MSG in NYC last year.

The Sweet 16 in the East Region will take place at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. If form holds, we could see Virginia against Oklahoma in a 2/3 matchup. Villanova could be looking at No. Iowa or Louisville as an opponent in the East Region semifinals. The Panthers will face Wyoming in the first round in a game that will almost certainly have the lowest total on the board.

In the South Region, top-seeded Duke will meet the winner of North Florida-Robert Morris. The Blue Devils will face the winner of San Diego St.-St. John's in Charlotte.

I think this region has the potential for upsets galore. Georgetown, the No. 4 seed, could be in trouble against Eastern Washington, the Big Sky champs who won at Indiana and have the nation's leading scorer (Tyler Harvey, 22.9 PPG).

I think 10th-seeded Davidson, which will face Iowa, has the potential to get to the Sweet 16. Gonzaga could go down to the Hawkeyes or the Wildcats in the Round of 32. With the exception of Duke, I think the winner of a 3/6 second-round game between SMU and Iowa St. has the best chance to get to Indianapolis from out of the South.

From the West Region, I feel like Wisconsin and North Carolina will coast into a Sweet 16 showdown in Los Angeles at Staples Center. I don't see Arkansas causing any problems for the Tar Heels in a potential Round of 32 matchup in Jacksonville.

One of the better first-round games is Ohio St. against VCU in Portland. The winner of this 7/10 matchup will likely face Arizona. With that said, the Wildcats draw a tough No. 15 seed in Texas Southern. The Tigers are coached by Mike Davis, who led Indiana to the finals in 2002. They won outright at Michigan St. and at Kansas St. and played a brutal non-conference slate that also included trips to Gonzaga, Florida, Baylor, SMU, Indiana, Eastern Washington, Auburn and Tennessee.

I think form will hold in the West and we'll get UNC-Wisconsin and Baylor-Arizona in the semifinals in L.A. We'll get a rematch of last year's Elite Eight game between the Badgers and the Wildcats, who lost a nail-biter to Bo Ryan's team.

The last bid went to Dayton according to the committee's official 1-68 list. The Flyers shouldn't have to play in a First Four game, but at least they get to play at home against Boise St.

BSU head coach Leon Rice should be livid to have to play a true road game. I feel like Indiana and UCLA should be playing in Dayton rather than the Flyers and the Broncos. The other game in Dayton between bubble teams will pit Ole Miss against BYU.

The winner between Boise St. and Dayton will face sixth-seeded Providence in Columbus. The Ole Miss-BYU survivor will take on Xavier in Jacksonville.

**B.E's Bonus Nuggets**

--In his Selection Show interview on CBS, the committee's chairman revealed that Temple was the first team out of the field. Wyoming stole its bid by beating San Diego St. in the MWC Tournament finals.

--St. John's won't have starting center Chris Obekpa for the NCAA Tournament unless it gets to the Final Four. The school announced Sunday that Obekpa has been suspended for two weeks due to a violation of team rules. Obekpa is fifth in the nation in blocked shots, averaging 3.2 per game. He averages 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Red Storm, who will face San Diego St. in Charlotte in the first round.

-- After both players missed several games with injuries, West Va. is expecting to get Gary Browne and star guard Juwan Staten back this week.

-- Wisconsin senior point guard Traevon Jackson will return to practice Monday. Jackson hasn't played since breaking his foot in a Jan. 11 loss at Rutgers. He averages 9.4 points and 2.9 assists per game.

-- Georgia's Kenny Gaines is dealing with a sprained foot that kept him out of Saturday's SEC Tournament semifinals loss to Arkansas. Gaines (11.6 PPG) is expected to play in UGA's first-round matchup against Michigan St. This is the Bulldogs' second NCAA Tournament appearance during Mark Fox's tenure.

-- BYU is dealing with several injuries going into Tuesday's First-Four matchup against Ole Miss. Skyler Halford, who averages 8.7 points and 2.3 assists per game, suffered a lower-leg nerve contusion in a loss to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament finals. Halford has scored in double figures in 12 of the Cougars' last 15 games. According to a tweet Sunday night from BYU beat writer Jay Drew, Halford told the Salt Lake Tribune, "I am good to go. Practiced the last couple of days, felt great." Anson Winder is listed as 'questionable' after sustaining a knee injury on March 7 that forced him to miss the team's last two games. Winder is BYU's third-leading scorer with a 13.1 PPG average.

-- Valpo has lost six straight NCAA Tournament games by double-digit margins since its 1998 run to the Sweet 16. However, we'll note that the '98 team led by Bryce Drew was a No. 13 seed like the Crusaders are this year. They'll take on fourth-seeded Maryland.

-- Double-digit seeds capable of making deep runs: Buffalo, Davidson, Boise St., Dayton, Georgia and Eastern Washington.

-- Buffalo is coached by Duke legendary point guard Bobby Hurley. The Bulls played at Kentucky and at Wisconsin during the regular season. They led the 'Cats by five at intermission at Rupp Arena and had a one-point advantage over the Badgers at halftime in Madison.

--Players capable of carrying their teams to multiple upset victories: Derrick Marks (Boise St.), Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming), Tyler Harvey (Eastern Washington), Jack Gibbs (Davidson), R.J. Hunter and Ryan Harrow (Ga. St.).

-- Coastal Carolina is a No. 16 seed again and will meet Wisconsin. Cliff Ellis's team led top-seeded Virginia by double digits in the first half of last year's Tournament and was in front of the Cavs for nearly all of the first 30 minutes.

-- Alabama fired Anthony Grant on Sunday after six seasons. Grant took the Crimson Tide to just one NCAA Tournament, losing a nail-biter to Creighton in 2012, and a pair of NITs. The Tide will host Illinois on Tuesday in the NIT.

-- Florida isn't in the postseason for the first time since 1996-1997.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Tournament Opening Betting Line Report: Oddsmakers open Oregon-Oklahoma State at pick 'em
By COLIN KELLY

OK, the NCAA Tournament bracket is out, and there’s much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands about who got seeded where, and who got left out. But let’s get to what’s really important here:

What’s the spread?

The tourney’s round-of-64 on Thursday and Friday – 16 games per day of pure basketball bliss – will have its share of blowouts, nailbiters and shockers. Covers got a trio of oddsmakers to weigh in on the games they found most challenging to set the line on: Jason Simbal, vice president of risk management for CG
Technology; John Lester, senior lines manager ; and Mike Jerome, oddsmaker.

WEST REGION

No. 4 North Carolina (-9) vs. No. 13 Harvard

“These two teams are total polar opposites,” said Simbal, whose operation runs several Las Vegas sportsbooks, including the M, the Palms, Cosmopolitan and
the Venetian. “Harvard wants to score 45 points a game and win, and Carolina wants to score 85 points a game and win.

“The Ivy League does a good job of dictating pace in NCAA Tournament games. We tossed around 7 points (to) 10 points. We had more conversation about
this game than any other game.”

No. 5 Arkansas (-7) vs. No. 12 Wofford

It looks like a mismatch, but Simbal warns against leaping too quickly.

“We have Wofford in the top 30 in all of our defensive metrics, which historically bodes quite well for tournament teams,” he said, noting that puts the Terriers in the top-10 percentile among the 300-plus NCAA Division I teams. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that number creeps toward Wofford as the week goes on.”

No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State, pick ‘em

“The big question is what kind of defense will show up for Okie State?” Lester said. “Because we know Joseph Young and the Ducks can put up points in bunches. The Cowboys are quite bipolar, and this could get ugly if Mr. Hyde shows up.”

Jerome chimed in on this game, too.

“If there is a game that looks like a coin toss, it’s this one,” he said. “And it makes sense, as the line is a pick 'em.”

No. 7 Virginia Commonwealth vs. No. 10 Ohio State (-2.5)

“VCU is a bit overrated in our eyes, but people recognize the Rams as a giant-killer come tourney time,” Lester said. “This is a good matchup, but the Buckeyes’ D'Angelo Russell should have his way here, and the absence of VCU’s Briante Weber (torn ACL last month) cannot be underestimated.”
Jerome isn’t counting out the Rams.

“Shaka Smart has his team playing great basketball when it matters,” he said. “The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have been a bit inconsistent, yet are a slight
2.5-point favorite.

SOUTH REGION

No. 4 Georgetown (-8) vs. No. 13 Eastern Washington

This game presents about as long a road trip as possible for the Hoyas, and about as short a trip as possible for the Eagles.

“It’s in Seattle. That’s always tricky, because it’s basically a home game for Eastern Washington,” Simbal said, noting he and his oddsmaking crew prefer the straight math of numbers, and that these quasi-home games skew that formula. “There was a similar situation two years ago when UNLV played California in San Jose. Do you treat that as a home game or not? And even if you don’t treat it as a home game, the public will treat it as a home game.”

Lester had some thoughts on this game, as well.

“It feels like a very similar matchup that Georgetown had a few years ago against Ohio,” he said. “The Eagles run and chuck up a lot of 3-pointers. The squares have no clue about Eastern Washington, but the sharps certainly know who Tyler Harvey is, so we had to be careful with the line.”

No. 5 Utah (-6) vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin

This could be one of those seemingly annual 12-5 upsets.

“Stephen F. Austin won a game in the NCAA Tournament last year, and they’re returning everyone,” Simbal said. “The Lumberjacks were huge favorites in all their (Southland) Conference games, and covered most of them. Utah is a team that struggled late and lost a bunch of games.”

No. 8 San Diego State (-2.5) vs. No. 9 St. John’s

“The Chris Obekpa suspension complicates things a bit for St. John's. The Red Storm will have to adjust in a big way,” Lester said. “You can't ever really trust San Diego State in this tournament, but the Aztecs will have a big advantage on the boards.”

The game has no shortage of name recognition on the bench, too.

“It’s another game with some big-name coaches: San Diego State’s Steve Fisher, St. John’s Steve Lavin, and Gene Keady, an assistant with the Red Storm,” Jerome said. “Good defense vs. good offense usually equals a win by the defensive-minded team.”

No. 11 UCLA vs No. 6 Southern Methodist (-3)

“SMU’s Larry Brown faces the team he used to coach back in the 1970s,” Jerome said. “Many ‘experts’ didn’t like how UCLA got a favorable seed. SMU will likely be one of the more popular bets on Thursday. SMU opened at -2 and moved to -3 less than an hour later.”

MIDWEST REGION

No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Texas, pick ‘em

Many TV analysts were growling about Texas even getting into the tournament. For oddsmakers, it created some difficulty, too.

“We knew the trickiest team was going to be Texas,” Simbal said. “By all the statistics and the math, the Longhorns are a top-20 team. But they can’t win a close game if their life depended on it. Now, they’re playing Butler, which is a similar team. They both like to grind it out.”

The implication: Grind-it-out games are close games, which don’t typically suit Texas.

No. 4 Maryland (-4) vs. No. 13 Valparaiso

Simbal said the Terrapins are the antithesis of Texas, presenting an altogether different challenge.

“The math and the statistics don’t match up, but they win every close game. They are super good in close games,” he said, noting the Terps went 9-1 in games decided by 5 points or less. “We have them at -4 as a No. 4 seed against a 13 seed. That shows how confident – or unconfident – we are in them.”

No. 7 Wichita State (-5) vs. No. 10 Indiana

“Wichita State deserved better than a No. 7 seed, and this is a tough matchup,” Lester said. “Indy will want to run, run, run, while the Shockers will try to slow everything down. We'll probably be split on this game, but the Hoosiers could easily ‘upset’ the Shockers.”

Jerome agreed with Lester.

“It seems like the Shockers got slighted a bit, while Indiana seemed to get seeded a lot higher than many thought,” Jerome said.

No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Purdue (-1)

“This is a tough draw for Purdue, because its bigs should be offset by a Cincy squad that can also bang down low,” Lester said. “It should be a very grind-it-out type of game, and it could come down to which team can hit some shots from outside.”

No. 5 West Virginia (-4) vs. Buffalo

“Coach Bobby Hurley has got the Bulls playing bullish hoops,” Jerome said. “West Virginia is only laying 4 because Juwan Staten (knee) is questionable.”

EAST REGION

No. 5 Northern Iowa (-7.5) vs. No. 12 Wyoming

The Cowboys present a dilemma because they wouldn’t be in the field if they hadn’t won the Mountain West Conference tournament, and they wouldn’t have won the tournament if Larry Nance Jr. hadn’t returned late last month after missing a handful of games with mononucleosis.

“Nance was the Player of the Year in the Mountain West, so Wyoming will have the best player on the court,” Simbal said. “But it’s very hard to handicap because of (the time Nance missed). Who knows how good they would’ve been if he had been there all year?”

Lester keyed in on this game, as well.

“I think Wyoming is a very good squad with two high-caliber players in Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Adams. The Cowboys play defense, grind, and they are healthy,” he said. “Like Wichita State, Northern Iowa got a bad draw and may be underseeded. This could very well be a 5/12 upset.”

Jerome also weighed in on the mid-major dual.

“Two schools lock horns from two of the best mid-major conferences -- the Missouri Valley and the Mountain West,” he said. “Northern Iowa has the best player on the floor in Seth Tuttle, but he could be neutralized by Nance.”

No. 4 Louisville (-9) vs. No. 13 UC Irvine

“Rick Pitino better put together a good game plan, because this is a ripe spot for an upset,” Lester said. “Louisville is overseeded, but the betting public has no clue about UC Irvine, so this is a tough line to set.”

No. 8 North Carolina State (-1) vs. No. 9 Louisiana State

“LSU really should be ashamed of the way it lost to Auburn in its last game,” Jerome said. “There’s big injury news here, with N.C. State's Anthony Barber (head). He is listed as probable to play.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Field favored to win championship over Kentucky
Stephen Campbell

Fresh off a perfect season, the Kentucky Wildcats will seek to keep that momentum heading into March Madness.

A Sportsbook has Kentucky's odds to win the tournament come at even money, with the field's chances sitting at -130.

For the majority of the campaign, the book had Kentucky favored versus every other team in college hoops. Prior to Selection Sunday, the Wildcats' odds to win were -110 and the field's -120 at the shop.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA South: Duke's demons open up region
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

SOUTH REGION

Top seeds: 1) Duke, 2) Gonzaga, 3) Iowa State, 4) Georgetown


How the South is won: Given Duke's recent one-and-done flameouts the last two years, one can make a case this is the most wide-open region. Arguably the best Gonzaga team in Mark Few's tenure and a resilient Iowa State side can be considered the Blue Devils' equals at this stage, although Georgetown as a No. 4 seed seems somewhat surprising.

One thing in Duke's favor is that none of the top four seeds have really made memorable postseason runs in recent years. Gonzaga went into the tournament as a No. 1 seed two years ago and was ousted by Wichita State in the third round, a loss which looked a bit better when the Shockers reached the Final Four. Iowa State was a Sweet 16 team last year.

While Utah slumped near season's end, the Utes appear to have gotten a reasonable draw as a No. 5 seed. Guard Delon Wright is the type of versatile player who can will a team to a win any time out, and if 7-0 freshman Jakob Poeltl can avoid foul trouble, Utah will have the inside-outside combo to give anyone trouble.

UCLA's inclusion in the field is somewhat surprising, given that it had just two wins in nine tries against ranked teams this year. But the Bruins looked like an NCAA team in Friday night's Pac-12 semifinal loss to Arizona.


Upset Watch: Look out for Eastern Washington against Georgetown in the 4-13 game. Eastern is the nation's second-ranked team offensively, and as Tom Crean's Indiana team found out in non-conference play, it is capable of beating a big boy.

The 10-12 seeds are also capable of blowing up brackets. Stephen F. Austin, which plays Utah in a 12-5 game, bumped off VCU last march in a second round contest.


Get to Know: A classic one-and-done freshman, Duke's Jahlil Okakor will be a lottery pick in June. Okafor may be a below-average defender, but he can score and rebound in concert like few in the college game. His post presence makes the Blue Devils a tough cover in the half court.

It only seems like Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos has been there for 10 years. The Zags' unquestioned floor leader may be the program's best lead guard since John Stockton.

Utah's hoops renaissance owes much to 6-foot-5 senior Delon Wright, the program's first two-time first team all-conference pick in 15 years. Wright routinely stuffs the stat sheet in three categories and provides leadership.


One to see: It's hard to imagine a matchup of more contrasting styles than San Diego State and St. John's in the second. West vs. East, old school coach (Steve Fisher) against the still-hip Steve Lavin, great defensive team against a team full of good athletes. This should go down to a last shot.


Rock, Chalk: With depth at every position, Gonzaga has never been better equipped for a Final Four run than it is this March. In a potential regional final with Duke, it has plenty of bigs to battle Okafor and the versatility to play at any pace.


Numbers Inc.:

1 -- The first-ever NCAA berth for North Florida.

3 -- The number of starters UCLA saw leave for the NBA last spring with eligibility still remaining.

8 -- The number of scholarship players Duke had at one point following a spate of injuries and the dismissal of senior guard Rasheed Sulaimon.

10 -- Davidson's seed this year. When Stephen Curry led it to an Elite Eight berth in 2008, it was as a No. 10 seed.

15 -- The number of wins by 20 or more points this season for Utah, the most in Division I.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's six-pack

-- Last three years, #1 seeds are 4-8 vs spread in the first round.

-- Since 1987, #2 seeds are 105-7 SU in first round, but 9-3 last three years; over last eight years, #2 seeds are 18-14 vs spread in first round.

-- Last eight years, #3 seeds are 20-12 against the spread in first round.

-- Odd fact; over last 15 years, the #4 seed in West is 3-12 vs spread in first round, with five SU losses. The West 4-13 game this year in North Carolina-Harvard.

-- #6 seeds have fared well recently, going 9-2-1 vs spread last three years.

-- If you must bet an 8-9 game, just take the points; over the last eight years, dogs are 22-10 vs spread in 8-9 games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship opening odds released

The teams have been set and Selection Sunday is in the books. Nevada-based sports book CG Technology was the first shop to release opening odds for the Big Dance.

Here’s a look at who they’ve given the early edge to in the Round of 64:

South Regional – Houston, Texas

16 North Florida/Robert Morris vs. 1 Duke
15 North Dakota State vs. 2 Gonzaga (-17)
14 UAB vs. 3 Iowa State (-12.5)
13 Eastern Washington vs. 4 Georgetown (-9)
12 Stephen F. Austin vs. 5 Utah (-5.5)
11 UCLA vs. 6 SMU (-2)
10 Davidson vs. 7 Iowa (-1)
9 St. John’s vs. 8 San Diego State (-1)

West Regional – Los Angeles, California

16 Coastal Carolina vs. 1 Wisconsin (-19.5)
15 Texas Southern vs. 2 Arizona (-23)
14 Georgia State vs. 3 Baylor (-7.5)
13 Harvard vs. 4 North Carolina (-9)
12 Wofford vs. 5 Arkansas (-7)
11 BYU/Ole Miss vs. 6 Xavier
10 Ohio State vs. 7 VCU (+1)
9 Oklahoma State vs. 8 Oregon PICK

Midwest Regional – Cleveland, Ohio

16 Hampton/Manhattan vs. 1 Kentucky
15 New Mexico State vs. 2 Kansas (-12)
14 Northeastern vs. 3 Notre Dame (-12)
13 Valparaiso vs. 4 Maryland (-3.5)
12 Buffalo vs. 5 West Virginia (-4)
11 Texas vs. 6 Butler PICK
10 Indiana vs. 7 Wichita State (-5)
9 Purdue vs. 8 Cincinnati PICK

East Regional – Syracuse, New York

16 Lafayette vs. 1 Villanova (-22)
15 Belmont vs. 2 Virginia (-16.5)
14 Albany vs. 3 Oklahoma (-12.5)
13 UC Irvine vs. 4 Louisville (-9)
12 Wyoming vs. 5 Northern Iowa (-7.5)
11 Boise State/Dayton vs. 6 Providence
10 Georgia vs. 7 Michigan State (-4.5)
(9) LSU vs. (8) North Carolina State (-1.5)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

POINTWISE

NBA BASKETBALL

MONDAY, MARCH 16 SCORE

(7:05) INDIANA PACERS 104 – Toronto Raptors 100 _____ _____

(7:05) Portland Trailblazers 104 – WASHINGTON 93 _____ _____

(7:35) BOSTON CELTICS 106 – Philadelphia 76ers 97 _____ _____

(8:05) MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 102 – Brooklyn 98 _____ _____

(8:05) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 111 – Denver Nuggets 95 _____ _____

(8:05) Cleveland Cavs 117 – MIAMI HEAT 104 (ESPN) _____ _____

(8:35) Oklahoma City Thunder 99 – DALLAS MAVS 94 _____ _____

(9:05) Charlotte Hornets 106 – UTAH JAZZ 92 _____ _____

(10:05) Atlanta Hawks 110 – SACRAMENTO KINGS 107 _____ _____

(10:35) GOLDEN STATE 118 – LA Lakers 92 (ESPN) _____ _____

BEST BETS: PORTLAND (4), MEMPHIS (2), CHARLOTTE, GOLDEN ST.